Toy engine



PATENT OFFICE.

DAVYDD C. HUGHES, OF, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOY ENGNE.

nracasee.

Application filed May 1, `1919. Serial No. 293.944.

To all whom fait may conce/Mt.'

Be it lrnown that I, Dnvrnn C. Hirsi-ins, a citizen of the United dtates, residing` at Chicago, in the county oi Cook and tritate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in rloy Engines, oit which the following,- is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being;l had tothe ac companyingl drawing, forming a part oi2 this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in toys, and especially to toy engines oit that type operated by steam.

One or' the objects oit my present invention is to provide a steam-operated toy engine which can be economically constructed and which shall be of few parts and which shall be saie in operation. @ne ol' the objections to the present type oi toy engine is the danger from lire. In the present commercial type of toy steam engine, the boiler is heated by means ol alcohol, benzin, or like burners, which in the hands of children be come fire hazards. y

In the type of engine invented by me I provide electrical means for heating the boiler, which may be readily attached to any ordinary lamp socket, and the lire danger is thereby entirely eliminated.

For the purpose of disclosing),` my invention, I have illustrated one embodiment of the same in the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure 1 is an elevation of an engine einbodyinp; my invention, lparts of the saine being shown in section;

Fig-2 is a sectionalfview of the same;

I-"ig: 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3-3 olFig. l; and l Fig. a is a detail section on the line t-4 olf Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, I provide a base l, preferably cast and having a portion of its sides 2 cut away to form legs. Within the sides is formed a ledge or shoulder 3, to which may be secured a cover plate fl, preferably interiorly lined with some insulating material and secured in position by suitable screws 5. The base l has a central circular opening', into which projects the lower open end of a hollow, cuplike bottom (i for the boiler. rlhe bottom has an annular shoulder 7 which rests or, the base and on the under side of the top 8 is provided with an internally screw-threaded lug 9 into which the` lower end of a bolt 10 takes. The lower end Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patented .12.11.25, 1921.

of the boltpasses through a clamp ll on the under side of the base, which clamp bridges the opening,1 in the base, and a nut lf) on the bolt is provided :tor draminli l and holding the parts together. drrann'ed4 within the euplilre bottom is a heat coil comprising,` a cylindrical insulatingI base 1.3, onwhich are wound the resistance wires 1.4L oi the coil, A

coil', and a split clampingtube 16 arranged `within the coil incloses the same. The opposite edges oi the tube are provided with lugs 17, alternate lugs being; punched out ol the plane of the edges and arranged between the edges, andsliding in the groove formed by the displacementoli` the lugs is a weda'e 18 which spreads the tube and thereby holds the same tightly in place. The two ends of the resistance wire are connected on the under side of the base to the binding-posts or other terminals. Each of these Aterminals comprises a post `19 screw-threaded at its lower end and projectingl through suitably enlarged openings in the base. Nuts 2() and 2l clamping` the base secure the posts in position, and interposed between the nuts and the base areinsulating washers E22 countersunk in the base to not only insulate the nuts from the base but also to hold the post in spaced relation to the sides of the openings through which the posts project.` A third nut 23 secures the end of the resistance coil to the post. y

The boiler 9A, preferably` formed of sheetmetal tubing and having a top 25, is secured over the bottom G and tightlyiits around a znaacinp,- flange on the bottom near the lower end thereof. This spacingr flange spaces the side wall ot the bottom 6 Yfrom the sides oi' the boiler and permits the water in the boiler to completely surround theheat coils. The boiler on one side is provided with the usual water glass QG, which is held in position between the glass holders 27 and 28 extending 'from and communicating with the boiler. A whistle 29 is mounted on the glass-holder 28 and is controlled by a suitable valve 30. The engine cylinder 3l is vertically disposed and: secured in the top of the boiler, and the cylinder and valve casing are preferably made in a single castinof. The steam admission port 32 for the cylinder consists merely of a hole bored through the casting into the cylinder Vand communicating with the opening in the boiler. A reciprocating slide valve 33 for the cylinder operates in a vertically extending opening in the cylinder casting and is provided'with an admission opening 34 eX- tending therethrough and adapted at predetermined intervals to aline with the port 32. This valve is also provided with an exhaust opening 35, which at predetermined interf vals alines with the opening 32 and communicates through the hollow end of the valve 33 with the atmosphere.

The admission oi' steam to the cylinder 3l is controlled by a hand valve 86, which screws into a cross `opening in the cylinder bearing therefor and fitting tightly in the openings in the sides of the boiler. An eccentric 42 is also mounted on the shait, the ring 43 of which is connected by a rod 44 with the valve 33 for operating the same,

and on the end 01"' the shaft opposite the flywheel is mounted a suitable driving pulleyv 45. Vater is admitted to the'boiler through an opening in a bung 46 secured in the top 25.

vThis bung is interiorly screw-threaded to receive a closingplug 47 provided with a blow- .l oil opening'48 having a restricted n ck forming a seat 4for a ballvalve 49, which valve is heldin positionv by a coiled spring 50, which,

. in turn,.is held in position by in-turned prongs 51 integrally formed on the top of c the 'lug 47.

` aving thus described my invention, what Iy claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a toy engine, the combination with a base having a centrally disposed opening therein, of a cylindrical bottom member having an annular iange resting on said base and a portion thereof projecting through said opening, an annular resistance coil arranged within said bottom member and lyying lin close proximity/to the side walls thereof, a central post secured to Vsaid bottom member, a clamp bridging the opening in Said base and secured to said central post for holding said bottom member in position, a boiler litting over said bottom member and ha. ving its side walls spaced apart from the valls of said bottom member' to allow the water te completely surround said bottom member, and a cylinder having a piston operating therein and receiving` steam from said boiler.

2. in a toy engine, the combination with a` base, of a cylindrical bottom member, an annular heat coil disposed within said bottom member and lying against the walls thereof, the lower end of said bottom inember projecting into an opening in said base, f central post connected to said bottom member, a bridge on the under side of said base spanning the opening in the base and connected to said central post, and a boiler body fitting over said bottom member and spaced apart from the side walls thereof.

3. ln a toy engine the combination with a supporting frame of a detachable watertight casing of inverted cup shape containing a heater element, and a cylindrical upright boiler shell mounted on said casing, the latter being provided with an outstanding flange adjacent to its lower edge and fitting fluid-tight within the lower end of said shell, whereby the lower part of said shell is spaced from the main wall of said casing and a large area of heater easing surface is presented to the surrounding water.

4. ln a toy engine the combination with a supporting frame of a water -tight rimtlanged heater casing of inverted cup shape containing a heater element, and a cylindrical upright boiler casing surrounding the main body of and tightly embracing the i'iange oit said heater easing, whereby the main wall of the heater casing is spaced from said boiler casing, said irame being open for ready access underneath and provided with a cross-bar, and a screw extending upward through said cross-bar and engaging the middle part of the end wall of said heater casing for securing same to said frame.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

DAVYDD C. HUGHES. 

